Who is Issa Diop?

Issa Diop has also attracted the attention of Real Madrid and Barcelona

The France Under-21 international has been an Arsenal transfer target since last summer but, according to reports in Spain, they will have some big-name competition to land his signature.

Diop made his debut for Toulouse in 2015 as an 18-year-old, thrust into the first-team with a 16-year-old goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola, behind him.

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Amazingly they combined to save the club and fought off the threat of relegation on the very last day of the season.

The 21-year-old has been at the club since he was nine years old, after progressing through the various youth teams, and made his debut in a 2-0 win over Nice.

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He is now the captain at the Stade de Toulouse and continues to impress year after year.

“He is a very positive person who always takes things with a smile, he is a great man and he is a real leader of men,” recalled youth coach Fabrice Garrigues.

“I remember a very important Under-17s match against Nantes.

“We were very poor in the first half and at the break, and although he was a year younger, he was the one who spoke up in the locker room, he took charge of the others, he revitalised everybody and we won 4-1.”